Knitting machine



Sept. 26, 1933.

E. J. CRANE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15, 1931 O I O w 9 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 26, 1933.

E. J. CRANE 1,928,557

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15, 1931 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 MQW.

Slept- 25, 1933- E. J. CRANE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 13, 1951 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept. 26, 1933.

E. J. CRANE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 13, 1931 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept 25, l93? E. J. CRANE 1,928,557

` KNITTING' MACHINE Filed Jan. 15, 1931 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 Spa. 2s, 1933.

E. J. CRANE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15, 1931 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 Sept 26, 1933- E. J. CRANE; 1,928,557!

KNITT ING MACHINE Filed Jan. 13, 1931 9SheetS-Sheet 8 Sept. 26, 1933. E. 1 CRANE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 13, 1931 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Z XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX VAVA VAVA VAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVA VAVA VAVA .XXXXXXXXXX VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA .VAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVA VAVA VAVA VAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA Patented Sept. 26, 1933 man n KNiT'rrNG MACHINE n Edward-J. Crane, Lexington, N. C., assigner to Mountcastle Knitting Co.,

line., Lexington,

N. C., a corporation of North Carolina Application January 13,

15 Claims.

`,This yinvention relates to mechanism for producing designs on knitted fabric bya plating process. The invention relates particularly to an attachment which is adapted to be applied to aseamless hosiery knitting machine.

The Aattachment forming the subject `of' the.

vide an attachment adaptedto be applied to a knitting machine for thepurpose of manipulating predetermined needles, or groups of needles, whereby such needles will be actuated in' a man- 2 ner to receive a plating, or design-forming, thread in addition to the thread, or threads, employed in the formation of a foundation fabric.

In the present instance, an attachment ,is disclosed as being applied to. a machine capable of r producing designs by a reverse plating process,

the attachment being so'fconstructed, and operated` in such a manner inconjunction with the other elements of the machine, as to produce on any desired part offthe design formed by the l normal reverse plating a superposed design such part of the present invention, whereas the superposed plated design is produced by mechanism constituting the present invention, which will be fully disclosed hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings', of which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a conventional type of circular knitting machine, showing thermechanism that constitutes the present invention as being applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation shown in Fig. l; i

Fig. Sis aplan View; f K

l Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation drawn to an enlarged scale and showingthe atb tachment forming the subjectof' the present application in co-operative relation to other elements of the machine; y

Fig. 5' is a sectional plan View taken on the line 5-5,Fig.4; `v j e Fig. 6 is adetached perspectiveview ofthe atof the mechanism CII The object of the present inventionlis to pro- 1931. serial-N0. 508,529

(o1. eestachment forming the subject of the present ine K vention; Y Figs. 7, 8 and 9 areperspective views of needlejacks used in conjunction with the attachment shown in Figs. 5 and 6; p l

Fig. 10 is a flat-development of the needle cylinder showing the needles co-operating with the attachment cams and the regular stitch cams of the machine; Figs. ll, 12 and 13 illustrate details of the presentinvention; f

Fig. 14 is a plan View ofthe regular stitc'hcam assembly of the machine;

Fig. 15 is `a'sectonal elevation'taken on kthe line 15-15, Fig. r14;

Fig. 16 diagrammatically` illustrates the form of superposed'design that wculdbe produced by the arrangement Aof -machine disclosed in the other figures of the drawings;

Fig.' 17V diagrammatically illustrates the arrangement of "needle-controlling jacks for producing the design shown in Fig. 16

Fig. 18 shows another form of design that ma be produced by use of the attachment forming the' subject of the present invention; n y

Fig. 19 shows the arrangement of needle jacks `for producing the design shown inFig. 18'

Figs., 20 and 2l illustrate still other @his of designs that may be produced; and

Fig. 22 illustrates vthe arrangement of needle "if jacks for producing the design shown in Figs. 20

and 21.

The machine that has been chosen to illustrate the operation of the attachment forming the subject o thepresent invention comprises a main@ frame l mounted upon supporting legs 2, 2, and having a top plate or flat table 3 in whichis rotatably mounted a needle cylinder 4.

The cylinder 4 is adapted to be continuously rotated, or oscillated, by means oi a beveled gearring 5 that is suitably secured tothe lower end of the cylinder 4, The gear-ring 5 meshes with a beveled gear 6 which is mounted on a horizontal shaft'l. The shaft 7 is suitably journaled in the main frame l lof, the machine. p

Continuous rotation of the cylinder 4, as effected during'the formation of the leg and foot portions of a seamless circular knitstocking, and oscillation of the cylinder 4, as efiectedduring the formation of the heel and toe pockets of the seamless circular knit stocking, `are produced atthe ,proper times by mechanisms shown and described in the above mentioned patent.

The needle cylinder 4 is grooved in the usual manner, as .indicated at 8, for the reception of :to e

needles 9 having butts 10 which are acted upon by the regular stitch-forming cams 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the machine.

In producing the courses of stitches constituting the foundation fabric in the form of leg, foot, heel and toe portions of the stocking, the cams 11, 12, 13 and 14 are assembled on a block 16 mounted on a platform 17 disposed above and spaced from a table 3 of the machine.

Pivotally mounted on the block 16, adjacent the cams 13 and 14 respectively, are spring-pressed' needle pickers 18 and 19 for moving certain of the needles out of action during the formation of the heel and toe of the stocking. f

Secured to each of a predetermined number of needles 9, which have been selected for the formation of a design in accordance with the principles of the present invention, and mounted in the lower ends of the needle slots 8 in the cylinder 4 are needle-controlling elements in the form of jacks or extensions 26. Each needle extension 20 is provided with a radially extending butt 21 operable longitudinally of the cylinder 4 in the space between the table 3 and the relatively elevated cam-supporting platform 17.

As shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the butts 21 of the needle extensions 20 are of variouslengths, as

illustrated respectively at 21a, 21b and 21e.

Mounted, in the present instance, on the ring 22 that rotatably maintains the gear-ring5 in place and between the upper face of the table 3 and the lower side of the cam-supporting platform 17 is a block 25 which constitutes a supporting base for the elements constituting the attachment forming the subject of the present instance.

Slidably mounted inthe supporting block 25 is a cam 26 which is inclined in a direction circumferentially of the needle cylinder 4 and which is adapted to be moved radially with respect to the needle cylinder 4, to engage orto be engaged by the butts 21 of the needle extensions 20 of those of the needles which are adapted to produce the superposed design on the knitted fabric.

Upon relative rotation being effected between the needle cylinder 4 and the cam 26 the needleextension butts 21 will ride on the upper inclined surfa@ 27 of the cam 26, in the manner illustrated in Figs. 4 and 10, to elevate certain of the predetermined needles above the normal line a, formed by the tops or hook ends of the needles when the needles are in the position to receive the regular foundation forming thread or threads sc, y, to a relatively higher level b, so that the raised needles, upon which the superposed design is to be formed, may receive a plating thread z as such thread extends between a thread clamp 30 and a thread guide 31, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and l0.

In order to give contour to the superposed design, the needle-raising cam 26, as above noted, is adapted to be moved from a normal inoperative position outside the path of the outer end of the longest needle-extension butt 2lc radially inward with respect to the needle cylinder 4 to be engaged by any desired group of the needleextension butts 21a, 2lb and 21C. If all of the predetermined groups of needles are to be raised the needle-raising cam 26 will be moved toward the needle cylinder 4 in such close proximity'to the periphery thereof as to be engaged byk all the butts 21a, 2lb and 21C.

In other cases, the cam 26 is moved to such a position with respect to the needle cylinder 4 that the saidr cam will be engaged by only the intermediate butts 2lb and the longest butts 21e, the short butts 21a passing the cam 26 without being engaged thereby, as illustrated in Fig. 10.

In other cases, during the formation of a predetermined design, the cam 26 may be moved to such a position with respect to the needle cylinder 4 as to be engaged by only the longest of the butts 21C, the short and intermediate butts 21a and 2lb respectively passing by the cam 26 without being engaged thereby.

In other cases, it may be desirable to raise only those needles equipped with the short butts 21a, whereupon the cam 26 will be moved toward the needle cylinder in a manner to be engaged by all the butts 21a, 2lb and 21o. In such a case a trailing cam 32 is provided directly following the raising cam 26 and adapted to be moved, like the cam 26, from an outer inoperative position, radially inward with respect to the needle cylinder 4. The trailing cam 32 is provided with an inclined surface 33 which is adapted to engage the upper edges of certain of the butts 2l on the needle-extensions 20 to lower the needles controlled thereby, after such needles have been raised by the raising cam 26, so that such needles will not take the design-forming thread e.

Obviously, by moving the trailing cam 32 radially with respect to the needle cylinder 4 to a position just beyond the outer edges of the short needle butts 21a, these needle-extension butts will pass by the trailing cam 32 leaving the needles controlled thereby in an elevated position to take the thread a, while the needles having the intermediate and longest butts 2lb and 21e respectively will engage the inclined surface 33 of the trailing cam 32 and thereby be lowered to the normal line a so that these needles will not take the thread e as they pass the thread guide 3l.

By moving the trailing cam 32 still further away from the needle cylinder 4 the intermediate butts 2lb will be caused to miss the lowering cam 32 and thereby remain in their elevated thread-takingposition, while the longest butts 21e will be engaged by the lowering cam 32 and be thereby lowered to the position a wherein they will not take thread.

From the above, it will be obvious that by manipulating the cams 26 and 32 any desired sets of the predetermined groups of needles which are adapted to form a superposed design on the foundation fabric may be caused to take the design-forming thread e as these needles pass the thread guide 31, upon relative rotation being effected between the needle cylinder 4 and the thread guide 31 and the cams 26 and 32.

The cams 26 and 32 are so arranged as to be operated independently or simultaneousiy. For example, the cams may oe moved in unison with the front face 34 of the lowering cam 32 spaced outwardly from the front face 35 of the raising cam 26 to the extent of the difference between the lengths of the intermediate butts and the longest butts, or the intermediate butts and the shortest butts.

As a result of moving the two cams in unison inwardly toward the needle cylinder 4, the longest butts 21e would first engage the'raising cam 26 and thereby elevate the needles controlled thereby to the thread-taking position, the front face 34 of the lowering cam32 being spaced behind the front face 35 of the raising cam 26 to such an extent that the outer ends of the long butts 21C will not engage the lowering cam 32.

Upon moving the cams 26 and 32 in unison toward the needle cylinder 4 a distance correcam 32 may be held inoperative, as in producing the superposed designs shown in Figs. 18 and 20.

From the above, it will be'obvious that by rotating the drum in timed relation to the rotation of the needle cylinder 4 predetermined needles carried by the said cylinder may be raised and lowered with respect to the cylinder to take or not to take the plating thread z from the thread guide 31 as desired, in order to form a superposed design on the foundation fabric being normally knit by the full complement of needles carried by the needle cylinder 4.

In the conventional type of machine to which the invention is applied in the present instance, it is desirable, during the formation of the superposed design, to take out of action one of the normal or regular stitch-forming cams of the machine; for example, the cam assembly including the cams 11, 12, 13 and 14 is provided for normal operation during both the continuous circular knitting of the leg and foot and the knitting of the heel and toe as produced by relative oscillatory movement between the cylinder 4 and the cam assembly, including the cams 11, 12, 13 and 14.

During the regular circular knitting of the leg and foot portions of the stocking, the regular butts 10 of the needles 9, in moving in a direction indicated by the arrow c in Fig. 10, with respect to the cam assembly 11, 12, 13 and 14, would be raised by the upper point 13a of the cam 13, to cause the loops that are held by the needles 9 to clear the latches of the needles, the needles being subsequently lowered by the cani 12 engaging the butts 10, to take thread in the hooks of the needles from a pair of thread guides 80 and 81 respectively, and to insure that the loops held by these needles are in position behind the latches to properly form the new loops by the threads taken from the guides 80 and 81 as the needles are lowered to cast their previously held loops by the cam 14, the needles subsequently being raised to their leveled position a by the butts 10 riding upwardly on the inclined face 15a of the leveling cam 15.

In forming the superposed design in accordance with the present invention the latch clearing raising of the needles by the point 13a of the cam 13 is undesirable, therefore, the cam 13 is so constructed as to be moved radially outward so as not to be engaged by the butts 10 of the needles 9. For this purpose, the cam block 16 and cam 13 are constructed and assembled in the manner illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15; that is, the cam block 16 is provided with a circular bore 82 in which is slidably mounted a circular rod 83 to which the cam 13 is secured by means of screws 84.

In order to take the cam 13 out of action, during the knitting of the leg and foot portions of the stocking in which the superimposed design is formed by the mechanism constituting the present invention, to the outer end of the rod 83 is pivotally connected, as at 85, one end of a link 86, the opposite end of which` is pivotally connected at 87 to one arm 88 of the bell-crank lever 89. The bell-crank lever 89 in the present instance is pivotally mounted at 91 to an upright member 90 which supports the latch ring 92, which in turn supports thethread guides 31, and 81 and the thread clamp and shearing device 30.

To the outer end of the second arm 93 of the bell-crank 89 is pivotally connected, as at 94, one endy of a link 95, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected at 96 (see Fig. 11) to one end of a lever 97. The lever 97 is pivotally mounted on a stud 98 secured in the main frame 1 of the machine. The opposite end of the lever 97 is provided with a cam-follower 99 which is adapted to be engaged by cams 100 and 101 carried by a drum 102 which normally controls the action of the thread guides 31, 80 and 81.

The drum 102, in effect, is a measuring drum, as it receives one complete revolution for each stocking Yproduced by the machine and controls the timing of the continuous circular movements of the cylinder 4, during the knitting of the leg and foot portions of the stocking, and the oscillatory movement of the cylinder, during the knitting of the heel and toe portions of the stocking.

During the said knitting of the leg and foot portions of the stocking, the cam-follower 99 is engaged by the cams 100 and 101 respectively which, through the mechanism above described, slides the cam 13 radially outward with respect to the cylinder 4 to such an extent that the said cam is not engaged by the butts 10 of the needles 9, whereupon the butts 10 will follow through in a horizontal plane from the leveling surface 15b of the cam ring 15, the said butts 10 passing under the low point of the triangular cam 1'2, which normaliy lowers the needles after they have been raised by the point 13a of the cam 13 to insure the clearing of the latches by the loops held on the needles.

It will be here noted that the needles that have been raised by the cam 26 and which have not been lowered by the trailing cam 32 are lowered by the triangular cam 12 after they have taken their thread from the thread guide 31 and before they take thread from the thread guide 39, 81, or both, prior to the lowering of the needles by the stitch cam 14, which causes the needles to cast the loops previously held thereby.

Ordinarily the needles after passing under the stitch cam 14 ride up the inclined surface 15a of the cam 15 to draw the newly formed loops down over the latches to open the latches for the reception of the threads to form the next course of loops and leave the inclined surface 15a in the plane of the leveling surface 15b, as illustrated by the broken line 15c in Fig. 10.

In order to cause the newly formed loops to clear the latches when the cam 13 is moved to an inoperative position a supplementary cam 15d is provided, having an inclined surface 15e which is contiguous with the inclined surface 15a of the cam 15, and rises above the leveling surface 15b a sufficient distance to cause the needles to be raised high enough for the loops held thereby to clear the latches. The needles are then brought down to the leveling surface 15b to position the loops behind the latches by a cam 115 having an inclined surface 115:1 which engages the upper edges of the butts 10 of the needles 9 and thereby moves the needles downwardly until the said butts again rest on the leveling surface 15b. l

When the stitch cam 18 is taken out of action, it is also desirable to take out the needle picker 18 and for this purpose the needle picker 18 is provided with an outwardly projecting pin 118 which is adapted to be engaged by a lug 113 on the stitch cam 13, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 14.

There may be times during the normal operation of the machine when it may be desirable to have the striping cam shaft 66 in operation, when it is not desired to have the raising and by the cani 'drum 65, operating to producefsuperposeddesigns on the fabric. the cams 26and 32 out of action at such times vthe'iollowing mechanism .is provided:

, The cani drum 162 is secured to a shaft 126 which is journaled in the frame 1 of the machine, and on one end of this shaft is a drum 12,1 which, in the present instance, provides a mountingl for release cams122 and 123. The cam 122 functions to` release the design-forming cams 26 and 32 during the formation of the leg ofthe stocking, while the cam 123 functions to release the designformingcams 26'and 32 during the formation of the foot portion of the stocking. e

The release cams 122 and 123 are adapted to engage a cam-follower 125 on a lever 1,26 that is pivotally mounted at 127 on a bracket 128 secured to the frame 1 of the machine, thecam-follower 125 being held inengagement with the peripheral v faces of the cam segments 122 and 123, orthe peripheral surface of the drum 12,1, by means of the spring V12S vhaving one end anchored at 130 to the rigid portion of themachine while the opposite end of the spring is connected at`131 to one end of the lever 126. f e

pivotally attached at 132 to the lever 126-is one end oi a link 133, the opposite end of the said f link being kpivotally attached at 134 to one arm that is carried by the outer end of the arm 76 of the bell-crank lever 73, which1 normally controisr the actuation yof the raising Vcam 26. The spring 144, which has one end connected to the arm 76 of the bell-crank lever 73 and its opposite endy connected to a post 145 extending upwardly from the table 3, normallytends to rock the bellcrank lever 73 and through the connecting mechanism move' the raising cam 26towards the cylinder 4 into an operative position with respect to the butts 21 of `theneedle-extensions 20. This spring also tends to rock the lever 69 about its pivot 62 to press .the cam-follower 68 toward the drum65. 1 y y i f Whenk the cam-follower 63 isin engagement with the peripheral surface ofthe drum 65 the raising cam 26 is in its closest possible position with respect to the `needle cylinder 4, the steps of the 4earn 67 determining the positionof the cam 26 with respect to the butts 21e, 21h andr 21crof various lengths, to be actuated by the cam 26. The greater the distance between the engaging end of the cam-follower 68 andY the peripheral surface of the ldrum the greater the distance betweenV the innermost edge of the cam 26 and f the peripheral surface of the needle cylinder 4.

l141 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, wherebythe end'146 of the slot 142 in saidlink will engage the ypin 143 ofthe bell-crank lever 73, rocking said bell-crank about its pivot, and through thev link 7 8 1pulling the cam 26 toitskoutermost orinoper'ative position and at the saine time'lowering the link 70 and rocking the lever 69 about pivot 62 In order to hold to raise the cam-follower 68 clear of the stepped cam 67 on the drum 65` lAtthe same time the lowering cam 32 is taken'` out of action by a link 150, one end of whichis pivotally connected at 151 to the lever 126, th'e opposite end of the link 150 being pivotally connectedat 152 to one arm 153 ofthe bell-crank lever 154. The bell-crank lever 154 is vpivotedat .155,to a bracket 156 mounted on the table 3. Pivotally attached tothe second arm v157 of the'bellcrank lever 154 is'one end of a link 158. The opposite end of the 158 is pivotally connected at 159`to the lever 45 Awhich controls the actuation of the lowering cam 32. K e yThe link 158 is of a telescopicnature having one section 160 connected to the lever 45 while the other section`161 is connected to the 'be1lcrank 'lever 154 and slides within the element 160, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The section 161 of the telescopic link 158 is in the form of a rod and is provided with the collar 162 which, when the camfollower 125 of the lever 126 rides off the release cams 122 or 123 onto the peripheral surface of the drum 121, engages the end 1630i' the section 160. Continued movement by the section 161 under the influenceofthe spring l65'rocks the lever 45 about its pivot 46 and thereby withdraws the lowering cam 32 to an inoperative position beyond the extreme outer end of the longest butt 21e. v l

The springs 165 and 129 normally hold Vthe cam-follower 125 in Contact with either thepev ripheral surface of thedrum 1215er the periphk which said step cam is mounted, and when the -120' lever 451s rocked to move the lowering vcam 32 to its inoperative position the cam-follower 63y is raised to a high position clear ofthe ,cam 67 on the drum 65. 5 f

The holding out of the cams 26 and 32 in the manner above noted is effected at the time the cylinder 41s normally` oscillating to `produce the heel and toe 'of the stocking and'so that the cams 26 andk 32 will in no way interfere with this operation. Y t f 4 kAs shown in Fig'. 4,`therelation of ther thread guide 31 with respect to the thread guides 80 and 81 is such that the thread .e controlled Yby the thread guide 31 extends at such an angle from the thread clamp 30 to the thread guide 31 as to permit the needles normally riding-in theV leveled plane a to pass underV the-plating thread v e, ywhile kthe fneedles which have been raised `by the cam 26 to the position b cross the plane of the thread c, and therebytake this thread as the needles pass the thread guide 31. The threads x, y which are respectively controlledy bythe thread guides 80 and 81 extend at such an'angleA from the thread yclarnp 30 to the said thread guidesA that the needles in position a will cross the plane of these threads and take thread from otally mounted on the iixed stud 98, and through Wires 172 and actuating levers 173, which in turn rock the thread guides to operative or inoperative positions about a pivot rod 174, against the action of nat strings 175, which normally tend to lower the outer ends of the thread guides into a position to deliver thread to the needles as the needles pass by the thread guides.

' Normally the striper cam drum 65 is adapted to actuate the thread guides for producing horiz'ontal stripes in the" stocking, through levers similar to the levers 61 and 68, which have forked ends that pass around the controlling wires 172, where these wires connect with the controlling levers 170, but in carrying out the principles of the present invention thefunction of the striping cam drum 65 is to control the actuations of the design-forming cams 26 and 32. Hence the substitution of the levers 6l and 69 for those which normally co-operate with the Wires 172 to control the thread guides of the machine.

The cam drum 65 is adapted normally to be advanced intermittently, one step for each course of stitches produced. In carrying out the principles of this invention this intermittent rotation of the drum 65 is utilized to set the cams 26 and 32 for each course of stitches produced,l in order to produce the desired outline on the design being superimposed upon the knitted fabric.

The intermittent rotation of the drum 65 is obtained in the usual `manner from the gear wheel 180 which, as shown in the above-mentioned patent, is geared to the main drive shaft of the machine in four-to-one ratio and functions as the crank for producing the oscillatory motion of the needle cylinder during the knitting of the heel and toe portions of the stocking.

Extending laterally from the gear 180, at degree intervals, are rollers 181 which are adapted to engage a lever 182 that is pivoted at 183 to the table 3 and is provided at its lower end with a pawl 184 which is adapted to engage the teeth of a ratchet Wheel 185 that is secured to the shaft 66 on which the cam drum 65 is mounted. Outward drum-advancing movement of the lever 182 is provided by engagement of the rollers 181 successively with the lever 182, while return movement of the lever is effected by means of a spring 185. Thus the drum 65 is advanced one step for each revolution of the needle cylinder 4 during the continuous circular movement of the said cylinder.

During the knitting of the heel and toe portions, advancement of the drum 65 is not desired,

therefore, the lever 182 is moved to and held at an outward position beyond the path of movement'of the actuating rollers 181. The holding of the lever 182 in its inoperative position is Y. eiected by a laterally extending lug 186 formed on a lever 187 that is pivotally mounted at 188 on the end of the striping shaft 66. At a point 189 intermediate the ends 187 is pivotally connected one end of an adjustable link 190, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected at 191 to one end of a lever 192.` The lever 192 is pivoted at a point 193 intermediate its ends to the frame 1. Pivoted on the opposite end of the lever 192, at the point 194, is one end of a link 195, the opposite end of which is pivoted at 196 to a chain rider 197, the chain rider in turn being pivoted at 198 to the frame 1.

The chain rider 197 is adapted to be engaged by a series of lugs 199 formed on one side of the links of a controlling chain 200. The chain 200 passes around a sprocket wheel 201 (see Fig. 2) which is rotatably mounted on the shaft and is'secured to a ratchet wheel 202 which is intermittently moved or rotated one step at a time, by mechanism shown in the abovemen tioned patent, to bring the lugs 199 successively under the chain rider 197, to swing the chain rider about its pivot which, through the link and lever mechanism just described, swings the lever 187 about its pivot to move the lug 186 of the lever 187 away from the pawl-carrying lever 182, so that the lever 182 may be actuated lo rotate the drum 65 in the manner above noted.

The lever 187 when swung to the inoperative position just noted is held in such inoperative position by a latch 203 having a shoulder 204 which drops behind the lever 187 and thereby holds the lug 186 away from the lever 182. The latch 203 is pivoted at 205 to the frame l of the machine.

As long as the latch 203 retains the lever 187 in an inoperative position the lever 182 will be operated to rotate the drum 65 to bring the various steps of the cam 64 and the cam 67 under the cam-followers of the levers 61 and 69, to operate the raising and lowering carns 26 and 32 to form a design in accordance therewith.

Mounted on the shaft 66 with the drum 65 is a sprocket wheel 206, around which passes the chain 207 having lugs 208 which are adapted to engage a toe 209 on the latch 203, to raise the latch to such an extent that the shoulder 204 will release the lever 187, the said lever 187 in turn swinging about its pivot under the influence of the spring 210 to cause the lug 186 to again engage the paw1-carrying lever 182 to move said lever to an inoperative position Whereby the drum 65 will not be rotated and consequently the cams 26 and 32 will remain in the position to which they have been last moved. In so doing, the cams 26 and 32 will continue to form lines of plated stitches walewise of the fabric being knit, until another of the lugs 199 on the chain 200 engages the chain rider 197 and thereby moves the lever 187 to the inoperative position above described, whereby the latch 203 will hold the lever 187 in its inoperative position until another of the lugs 208 on the chain 207 releases the said latch from the lever 187.

From the above, it will be obvious that by arranging the lugs 199 on the chain 200 and the lugs 208 on the chain 207 in a predetermined manner the form of design produced by the actuation of the cams 26 and 32 may be widely varied.

The pattern drum 102, as in the patent above noted, is rotated intermittently by a ratchet wheel 211, and, with the drum 102, the ratchet Wheel 211 and the drum 121 being secured to the shaft 120, the timing of the operation of the cams 26 and 32 is regulated in accordance with the knitting of the portions of the stocking which are to receive the superimposed design as formed by the actuations of the cams 26 and 32.

yAs the mechanism that forms the primary de sign, by a reverse plating method, forms no part of the present invention, no further reference to such mechanism will be made in the present application as it will be obvious from the above thatl the mechanism forming the subject of the present invention is applicable to a machine which produces ordinary plain circular knit fabric.

I claim:

l. The combination with the needles and stitch cams of a knitting machine, of butts of various lengths associated with predetermined needles, a

- design.

` lengths associated with predetermined needles, a

..., a design u on the fabric being knit' ceo-operation between the needles and stitch cams,

.. the selector rectifying cam following kpradetermined portions ofthe selector camL movable lengthwise of the' various length butts to selectively raise needlesto form a design on the fabric being knit by normal cooperation between the needles and stitch cams, and a rectifying cam following vsaid selector cam and movable'lengthwise of the various length butts for selectively lowering raised needles to cancel predetermined portions made bythe selector1 cam. y n

2. The combination with the needles and stitch cams of a knitting machinaof 'butts of various lengths associated with predetermined needles, a selector cam movable rlengthwise of the various length butts to selectively raise needles to forma design on the fabric being knitby'normal co-operation between the needles and stitch cams, Aa rectifying cam following said selector cam and movable lengthwise of the various length butts for selectively lowering raised needles to'cancel predetermined portions -rof the selection made by the selector cam, and means forinoving said selector cam lengthwise of the butts to give shape to the 3. The combination withthe needles vand stitch cams of a knitting machine, of butts of various selector cam movable lengthwise of the various length butts to selectively raiseneedles to form by normal a rectifying`carn`following said selector vcam and movable lengthwise Yof the various length butts for selectivelylowcring raised needles to cancel predetermined portions of the selection made by the selector' cam, and means forl moving' said rectifier cam lengthwise ofthebutts to give shape to the design.

4. The combination with the needles and stitch cams of aknitting machine, of butts of ivarious 40 lengths associated with predetermined needles, a yselector cam movable lengthwise `of the various length butts to selectively raise needles to form a` design on the fabric being knit by normal I co-operation between the needles and stitch cams,

a rectifying cam following said selector cam and movable lengthwise of the various length butts for selectively lowering raised needles to cancel predetermined portions of the selection made by cam, and means for moving the selector and rectier cams lengthwise ofthe butts `in yunison to give shape to the design.

5. The combination with the needles and stitch cams of a knitting machine, of butts of various lengths associated with predetermined needles,

a selector cam movable lengthwise of the various length butts to selectively raise needles 'to form a design on the fabric being knit by normal cooperation between the needles and stitch cams, a said selector cam and movable lengthwise of the various length butts for selectively lowering raised needles to cancel selection made by the selector cam, means for moving the selector f. cam lengthwise of the butts, means formoving the rectifier cam lengthwise of the butts, and

means for moving said cams tions relative to said butts. c y K. i v

6. The combination with. the needles and to inoperative posistitch cams of a knitting machine, ofbutts of various lengths associated, with predetermined needles, a selector cam movablelengthwise of the various length butts to select needles to form a design on'the fabric being knit by normal cooperation betweenthe needles and stitch cams, a rectifying cam following said selector cam and of the selection movable lengthwise of the various length butts* Iforselectivelv operating predetermined needles to form av-design on the fabric being knit by normal co-operation between 'said stitch cam assembly and said needles, and vmeans cci-operating with said needle-selecting-means for taking one of the cams of said assembly out of action during the formation of the design by said needle 'selection.

8. The combination with the needles, needle pickers, and stitch cam assembly of a knitting Inachine, of means for selectively operating predetermined needles to form a design onthe fabric being knit by normal co-operation between said stitch cam assembly and said needles, and means co-operating with said needle-selecting means for taking one of the cams of saidpassembly and a needle picker out of action during the formation of thel design by said needle selection. s

cams of a knitting machine, of means for selectively raising predetermined needles and means for-selectively lowering certain of the selectively raised needles to form a design on the fabric be- 'ing knit during the formation of one portion of the fabric by normal co-operation between the stitch cams and needles, and means for taking the needle yraising and lowering means out of action simultaneously during the knitting of another portion of the fabric. Y

10. The combination with the needles and stitch 9. The combination with the needles and stitch iii-5 cams of a knitting machine, of means for selectively operating predetermined needles to form a design on the fabric being knit during the formation of one portion of the fabric by normal cooperation between the stitch cams and needles, means co-operating with the needle-selecting means for taking certain of the normal stitch cams out of action during the formation of that portion of the fabric including the design produced by said needle selection, and means for taking the needle-selecting meansout of action dur- `ing the knitting of another portion of the fabric.

11. The combination with a needle support having grooves and needles therein, of needle eX- tensions associated with predetermined needles in said grooves, butts of various lengths extend- `ing laterally from the respective needle-extensions, a cam normally disposed in an outer position beyond the longest of said butts and adapted to be moved to an inner position adjacent the said support to be engaged by all the butts, means for positioning said cam at points intermediate said outer and inner positions rto select predetermined butts for engagement with said cam for advancing the needles controlled thereby to operative positions relative to theremainder of the needles iso in said support, and a retracting cam following said advancing cam and movable substantially parallel thereto to engage predetermined butts advanced by said advancing cam to retract the needles controlled thereby to an inoperative position.

The combination with a needle support having grooves and needles therein, of needle extensions associated with predetermined needles in said grooves, butts of various lengths extending laterally from the respective needle-extensions, a needle-advancing cam normally disposed in an outer position beyond the longest of said butts and adapted to be moved to an inner position adjacent the said support to be engaged by all the butts, a cam having steps adapted to position the needle-advancing cam at predetermined points intermediate said outer and inner positions for selecting the butts rto engage the said needle-advancing cam, link and lever mechanism operatively connecting the said cams, and means for moving said needle-advancing cam to its outer position independent of the said stepped cam.

13. The combination with a needle support having grooves and needles therein, of needle extensions associated with predetermined needles in said grooves, butts of various lengths extending laterally from the respective needle-extensions, a cam normally disposed in an outer position beyond the longest of said butts and adapted to be moved to an inner position adjacent the said support to be engaged by all the butts, means for positioning said cam at points intermediate said outer and inner positions to select predetermined butts for engagement with said cam for advancing the needles controlled thereby to operative positions relative to the remainder of the needles in said support, a retracting cam following said advancing cam and movable substantially parallel thereto to engage predetermined butts advanced by said advancing cam to retract the needles controlled thereby to an inoperative position, a cam having steps adapted to position the needle-retracting cam in predetermined relation to said needle-advancing cam, and link and lever mechanism operatively connecting the retracting cam and its actuating cam.

14. The combination with a needle support having grooves and needles therein, of needle extensions associated with predetermined needles in said grooves, butts of various lengths extending laterally from the respective needle-extensions, a cam normally disposed in an outer position beyond the longest of said butts and adapted to be moved to an inner position adjacent the said support to be engaged by all the butts, means for positioning said cam at points intermediate said outer and inner positions to select predetermined butts for engagement with said cam for advancing the needles controlled thereby to operative positions relative to the remainder of the needles in said support, a retracting cam following said advancing cam and movable substantially parallel thereto to engage predetermined butts advanced by said advancing cam to retract the needles controlled thereby to an inoperative position, a cam having steps adapted to position the needle-retracting cam in predetermined relation to said needle-advancing cam, link and lever mechanism operatively connecting the retracting cam and its actuating cam, and means for moving said needle-retracting cam to an ineffective position independent of said stepped cam.

l5. The combination with the needles of a knitting machine, of needle extensions associated with predetermined needles, butts of various lengths on said needle extensions respectively, an advancing cam positioned normally beyond the longest of said butts, a retracting cam positioned normally beyond the longest of said butts, actuating means for moving said cams lengthwise of said butts to be engaged by the butts of different lengths, and means for moving said cams to inoperative positions independent of said actuating means.

EDWARD J. CRANE. 

